1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus in which a chassis base thereof is able to withstand bending and twisting loads and thereby maintain its flatness, and in which assembly and disassembly of the chassis base and a Plasma Display Panel (PDP) are easily performed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plasma display apparatus includes: a Plasma Display Panel (PDP) that displays images using a plasma generated by a gas discharge, a chassis base that supports the PDP, and a circuit board assembly mounted on a side of the chassis base opposite to the side that is adjacent to the PDP. The circuit board assembly is electrically coupled to display electrodes and address electrodes positioned within the PDP via a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC), connectors, or a Tape Carrier Package (TCP).
The PDP includes two glass substrates sealed opposing each other to thereby form a discharge space therebetween. As a result of this structure, the PDP is susceptible to damage from external shock. To ensure a sufficient mechanical strength of the PDP, it is necessary for the chassis base be resistant to bending and twisting loads.
Furthermore, a thermal conductive sheet is interposed between the chassis base and the PDP to transfer the heat of the PDP. To ensure close contact with the PDP, the chassis base must maintain a high degree of flatness. In addition, the chassis base is preferably light in weight so that the overall weight of the plasma display apparatus is minimally increased.
A chassis base made by pressing a thin plate has been used in an effort to satisfy all of the above requirements. To ensure a sufficient strength with respect to various loads, ends of the planar chassis base are bent into an “L” shape, and a plurality of reinforcing units are attached at suitable locations to a rear surface of the chassis base. A sufficient strength and a low weight of the chassis base can be realized by such a configuration.
The reinforcing units are attached to the side of the chassis base on which the circuit board assembly is arranged with screws or a sheet metal fastening method, such as the TOX method. Accordingly, the chassis base is partially deformed during the bending process due to the concentration of stresses in the end portions thereof, to thereby reduce the flatness of the chassis base. Therefore, following the bending process and the mounting of the reinforcing units, an additional step is required to again flatten the chassis base.
The chassis base and the PDP are interconnected as described above. If either the chassis base or the PDP in a plasma display apparatus is found to be defective, it must be discarded. The chassis base and the PDP must therefore be disassembled so as to reuse one of the two elements and discard the other.
To disassemble the PDP and the chassis base, a bracket is provided on the chassis base, and two-sided tape is provided on the bracket. That is, the bracket is removably mounted on the chassis base by screws, and the two-sided tape interconnects the bracket and the PDP. With this structure, by removing the screws, the bracket is separated from the chassis base and is attached to the PDP by the two-sided tape. Hence, the chassis base and the PDP can be separated from each other.
In the plasma display apparatus described above, to ensure the strength of the chassis base, the outer portions of the chassis base are bent to form reinforcing units. Furthermore, to form an assembly/disassembly structure between the chassis base and the PDP, the reinforcing units, a separate bracket, and screws are provided. As a result, manufacturing of the chassis base and its configuration become complicated.